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CRATE. v N0. 420,855. Patented Feb. 4, 1890.

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' D. J. BARD.

CRATE. 10,420,855 Patented Peb. 4, 1890.'

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CRATE.

No. 420,855. Patented' Feb. 4, 1890.

N. PETERS. PhrAmliwgmph-er, Wnshingnmp. C.

UNITED STATES .PATENT OFFICE.

DAEVID J. BARD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND FRED-ERICK F. HAIGH, OF SAME PLACE.

CRATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 420,855, dated February4, 1890,

Application filed November 30, 1889. Serial No. 332,157. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID J. BARD, residing at Chicago, in the county ofCook and State of Illinois, and a citizen of the United St-ates, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Hat Carriers and Exhibitors, ofwhich the following is a specication, reference being had to t-heaccompanying drawings, in which 1o Figure l is a perspective showing atrunk with my improved hat carrier and exhibitor therein. Fig. 2 is adetail showing two of the carriersone above the other, one half being inelevation, the other half in section. Fig.

I5 3 is an under side view of one of the carriers.

Fig. 4 is a perspective showing one of the carriers, which is supposedto be standing in an inclined position against a wall or other support.Fig. 5 is a detail, being a section at line 2o 5 5 of Fig. 3, thecarrier in this figure being right side up.

Myimprovement relates to devices for carrying and exhibiting stiff hats.It is customary for traveling salesmen engaged in the z 5 business ofselling hats to carry a number of samples of stiff hats packed intrunks., Such samples have heretofore been packed for transportation byplacing them inside of each other, and they become creased and marred,

3o so that their value for sale is much lessened.

Such samples when exhibited have been heretofore placed upon tables, andthe hats are liable to become soiled. A

The object of my invention is to provide 3 5 improved devices by meansof which a number of stiff hats can be safely, readily, and quicklypacked in a trunk for transportation, each hat being so supported thatit is detached from the others, so that the hats are 4o not liable to beinjured one by the other; also, to provide at the same time better meansfor exhibiting hats than heretofore,which I accomplish as illustrated inthe drawings and as hereinafter described. I.

That which I claim as new will be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, A represents a trunk.

B C D are three of myhat carriers and ert-u hibitors, each, as shown,being adapted to re- 5o ceive eight hats. Except as hereinaftermentioned, these three carriers are alike. Each carrier consists of aframe and receptacles for the hats. Each frame, as shown,consists of twovert-ical side pieces a b, longitudinal strips c d, anda number ofcross-pieces c. As' 55 shown, the longitudinal strips c are secured tothe vertical pieces ab, and the cross-pieces c are secured to the underside of the longitudinal strips. f

E are strips or rings of pasteboard or other 6o suitable material, whichstrips or rings are secured in vertical position to the longitudi? nalstrips and the cross-strips, as seen in Figs. 2 and 3. Each of thesevertical strips or rings is designed and adapted to receive the body ofa stiff hat G. The upper end of each ring extends abovethe upper surfaceof the frame, and is so shaped that the brim of the hat rests thereon.The rings E may be covered with cloth. 7o

' F represents cloth which covers the upper surface of the frame and llsthe spaces outside of the rings E. Thelowest carrier B has legs f, oneat each corner, of such length that the crowns of the hats will nottouchthe bottom of the trunk. Each of the other carriers is provided withlegs g, one at each corner, which, when in the trunk, rest on the top.of the carrier immediately beneath it, which legs are not as long asthe legs f, beso cause thelcrowns of the hats in these two carrierspartly enter the hats below. Each of these carriers C D is also providedwith four other legs h, which are a little longer than the legs g, sothat when the receptacle is removed p from the ytrunk and placed on atable or floor the crowns of the hats therein will not come in contactwith such table or floor. Vhen these receptacles are in place in' thetrunk, these legs h enter holes fi in the strips c of 9o the frame nextbelow, thus saving some space in the trunk. Y

j are elastic straps which are provided for each frame. The ends ofthese straps are secured to their appropriate frame, and are arranged topass over thebrims of the hats to hold them in place.

7o are hooks secured to the several frames between two adjoining hats,beneath which hooks the straps j can be placed when the Ioo hats are inplace, and from which hooks the straps can be released easily when thehats are being placed in or removed from the carrier.

YWhen the hats are to be exhibited, the carriers are to be removed fromthe trunk, and they can be placed upon a table in an inclined position,as shown in Fig. 4, or they can be placed in a horizontal position. Itdesired, When exhibiting the hats, the carriers being in a horizontalposition, the hats can be removed from the rings E and placed lon theirsides, the crown or brim of each hat resting on one of the rings E.

His a tray designed to receive and hold goods other than the stiff hatsG.

I do not limit myself to the use of frames constructed exactly asdescribed; but I know of no more convenient Way of making them. Thecarriers may be of such size as to be adapted to receive a less numberof hats than eight.

I have shown three carriers in Fig. l. greater or less number may beused.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is asfollows:

l. A hat-carrier consisting of a horizontal frame or support having anumber of openings therein, each adapted to receive the crown of a hat,in combination with Vertical hat-supporting rings E, secured one Withineach of said openings and projectingr upward above the surface of thesaid frame, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

A hat-carrier consist-ing ot' a horizontal frame or support having anumber ot' openings therein, each adapted to receive the crown of a hat,in combination with vertical hat-supporting rings E, secured one Withineach of said openings and proj ectiug upward above the surface of thesaid frame, straps j, arranged to pass over the brims of hats, and hooks7s, secured to the frame or support., substantially as and for thepurposes specified.

3. A hat-carrier consisting of a frame, in combination with verticalstrips or rings E, secured to the frame, legs g, and legs 71, longerthan the legs g, all of such legs being attached to the frame,substantially as and for the purposes specified.

4. A hat-carrier consisting of a frame and Vertical strips securedthereto, legs g, and legs 71, longer than the legs g, in combinationWith a second carrier provided with holes `i in its frame to receive thelegs h, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

5. The combination of a trunk and a series of hat-carriers, one abovethe other, each carrier consisting of a frame provided with legs, and aseries of hat-supporting strips or rings E, secured to the frame,substantially as and for the purposes specified.

DAVID J. BARI).

Vitnesses:

ALBERT H. ADAMS, ROBERT A. MILLAR.

